


Moments Between

by Igot2peedou



Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Sakura, BAMF Shikamaru, Dead ass friend rn, F/M, Like, Shikaku - Freeform, apprentices, but not reall?, friend enemy to lover, idk - Freeform, kinda slow burn, shikasaku, tsunade - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-26
Updated: 2018-11-26
Packaged: 2019-08-24 00:05:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16629017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Igot2peedou/pseuds/Igot2peedou
Summary: Or, Shikamaru never stops paying attention to his bestfriend’s little civilian friend Sakura Haruno.(He isn’t sure he could stop if he tried.)





	Moments Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or, Shikamaru never stops paying attention to his bestfriend’s little civilian friend Sakura Haruno.
> 
> (He isn’t sure he could stop if he tried.)

 

1. 

It’s a perfectly sunny day, clouds wafting above like cotton candy, and he’s stuck inside The Academy. Doing work. If that wasn’t enough he’s stuck with Sakura Haruno, of all people. She isn’t dumb or anything but the heaving sighs she’s prone to is anything but subtle. 

“Why don’t you do something about it,” he asks, laying down his pencil. Sakura’s leg stops it’s incessant jiggling.

”I am.”

He doubts she even knows what he’s referring to but Sakura has always been quick to snap back when she isn’t busy pretending otherwise. Shikamaru heaves a sigh of his own, casts a pleading look out the window, resigned to his fate. “Tutoring me doesn’t count as ‘doing something.’ It bolsters your Classwork not your Field Assessment.” Shikamaru turns to face her head on.

”You can at least act grateful! I know you could pass without my help but you could at least pretend to be improving—“ 

“I don’t care.” The remark comes out far more blunt than he intended and before her explosive temper rears up he adds, “About school. It’s all so troublesome.” 

She crosses her arms, annoyed. He takes this as a sign to keep going.

”But obviously you care. So why don’t you do more?”

”I’m a contender for top kuniochi!”

”Contender. Do you really think you’re going to win with those Field marks? Ino beats you, Hinata wipes the floor with you.”

At this point she stands up eruptly chair screeching against tile. “Screw you,” her voice crackles with spite. Shit.

”Hey— no need to get worked up, just listen alright? C’mon—“ he half sprints to the exit to prevent her from storming out. “And Kiba and Sasuke demolish Naruto. There’s a pattern here, yeah?” He manuavers his body to block the doorframe just in time. Uncharacteristic panic flutters from the nape of his neck, he wants to rub at it but he needs to get this out. “They’re clan children— we’re clan children. You’re only a civilian.” 

Her glare could curdle milk. “And,” she snarks.

”You’re at a disadvantage and ignoring it isn’t going to help.” 

“Maybe you should take your own advice clan boy.” She gives a false pause, “Oh wait, you’re going to graduate no matter what, right?” She snorts, shoves him out of the way. The hot, uncomfortable feeling is the only thing that keeps him from pursuing her. This is what he gets for trying to help? Isn’t he rectifying his privilege by informing her of her faults? Giving her an edge? It’s all too infuriating. Shikamaru rolls his eyes up towards the ceiling, how troublesome. 

He’s not great at apologies. Which is ironic considering how often he apologizes to Ino, though she drags it out of him like a final stand. That there is the difference, Shikamaru supposes, between Ino and Sakura. They’re stubborn— their rivalry is a prime example of that— but instead of demanding an apology or giving him the silent treatment until he caves, she just... doesn’t. 

Ino knows when she deserves more and however inconvenient that can get Shikamaru prefers it. No one is going to stick her into a corner. Sakura on the other hand, no matter how loud she has gotten hasn’t shaken the shyness that plagued her youth. Something about that, how she can stare more in the face and not want think she deserves it is unsettling. So he wants to apologize. He’s overstepped.

Shikamaru means to apologize the next day, really. But she comes in uncharacteristicly late. The only open seat is upfront next to Naruto which she claims without complaint. It’s such an odd move considering how... not into Naruto she is. If there’s anyone who can push her buttons faster than Ino it has to be him, with his unbridled crush, that probably reminds her too much of her fangirl person?, yet she sits next to him without a fuss.

It goes like this: Naruto chatters a mile a minute and mostly Sakura appears to listen, only losing her temper when he falls behind not his notes. “Can you afford not to pay attention? I’ll move if you don’t shut up!” Naruto blanches and begins to record the notes with a new vigor. 

Shikamaru waits outside of class during lunch, perturbed, but ready to make amends. He’s antsy enough to not notice how long he’s been waiting. Shikamaru peers into the class. It’s empty. The window is ajar, no Sakura or Naruto in sight. It doesn’t take much to out two and two together.

Afterschool is similar. He tries to wave Choji and Ino ahead but they insist on waiting for him to pack up. Sakura is our the door before he can get to her. 

The next day she’s early. He comes into class and she’s sitting upfront. The day after she sits there, and the day after that too.

Soon, Sakura’s permanent seat is upfront next to Naruto. She dawdles at Sasuke’s seat, leans over and gushes at him before class starts, only leaving when Ino arrives. Not immediately either, they argue for a bit— she makes a few clever quips to her rival and then is on her way. None of these moments feel like the right time to apologize. His dad always says it’s better to clear the air than let things rot, but he isn’t exactly given a choice. When she isn’t fawning over Sasuke or studying with Naruto she’s quick out the door.

Goes without saying she no longer tutors him. Iruka-sensei informs him she’s helping Naruto. Of course she is. Shikamaru tries to not care. He’d rather hear the news from her if at all. Whatever. All three of them including Iruka-sensei knew he didn’t really need a tutor. Like she said, he’s going to graduate no matter what. S’not like the Academy will hold back a member of Ino-Shika-Cho. Why does he feel so put off? 

He tries to stifle his hyper awareness of Sakura, and the thought of an apology fades as weeks, months, and a year go by. 

tries to ignore her. Stop observing. Which is impossible of how often Ino talks about her. “She’s slipping. I got a 96% and she got a flat 90.” Ino grins, brandishes her test like a trophy. “Guess her brain isn’t proportional to her forehead after all.”

and: “That poor Naruto. Doesn’t he know I’d be a better tutor? Not that I want to,” she giggles, “Too much work.”

or: “What she’s too good for Sasuke now? Gah, what a brat.” Shikamaru resists exhanching a look with Chōji. _Too_ _good_ _for_ _me_? went unrealized, and not either of their place to comment on. 

After a particular nasty spar: “I lost? I never lose,” which, untrue, she’s lost plenty of times to Hinata and others, and before she began training with her father she and Sakura had been equals on good days.

Had she always talked this much of Sakura? Is Sakura doing the same with Naruto?

None of it matters too much anyways, because after they pass, Iruka-sensei announces the Top Kuniochi. Ino wins. She shines like the sun when the news is announced, though is less impressed as she inspects the scores. “That close you two! When did,” she punches her fist, “She get that good?” Ino huffs in a way that makes it apparent she is vowing to work harder. 

Entirely too close is an understatement. Sakura’s Field Marks exceeds Ino’s, though the decline of her Classwork tips the scales, costs her the title. 

Sakura pointedly doesn’t look at Ino as she stands in line, hitai-ate in hand, as she watches Naruto preform his bunshin. It’s clear she is unhappy but she doesn’t have any time to remain disappointed because she rushes after Naruto when he fails his test.

He loses sight of her as the crowd of parents greet their newly graduated children.

(the next day he’s predictably assigned to Team 10, with Ino and Chōji. Somehow Naruto weasels his way onto Team 7 with Sakura and Sasuke.)

 

2.

He doesn’t care for rumors, it’s all too troublesome, but the audacity of Team 7, he can’t resist listening to. They’re eating dinner at Chōji’s restraunt, when Kurenai and her team show up, joining his own. Asuma-sensei and Kurenai wander off and he’s left with his classmates. Kiba shovels food into his mouth with an unwarranted ferocity.

”Geez, what’s got you so worked up?” Ino snickers.

Kiba snarls behind a mouthful of lamb chop. Hinata is the one who begins to explain. 

Shikamaru can’t help but listen to the audacity of Team 7. After all: you don’t go from D ranks to B ranked missions in one fell swoop, not genin. Except they manage to. Hinata can’t give all the details— they’re nin, sworn to secrecy, but between Naruto’s bragging and what she’s heard from her sensei, Team 8 has gathered enough information to paint a picture. 

Team 7 comes back from their last mission different. 

Naruto has a bridge named after him. Sasuke almost died. Sakura... they don’t know what happened to Sakura, but she spends a copious amount of time in the Weapons Shop. The most important fact being: out of all the teams, they went on a B rank mission.

It’s something he has to see for himself.

A chorus of tinkling bells alerts The Weapon Shop’s keeper of his presence. TenTen greets him and he nods in acknowledgment, scanning the store for Sakura. She isn’t hard to find. The top of her dusky colored hair peeks over an aisle or two away. From the tilt of her head he can tell she’s looking at the weapons display. 

Ninjatōs, tantos, chigirikis, and downright medieval weapons hang overhead. He wonders which ones she’s looking at.

”All done, would you like anything else?”

”Hm? No that’d be all TenTen, thank you.” She turns, moving towards the cash register to take her items. Shikamaru picks up a random pack of exploding tags, makes his way to the cash register. She doesn’t notice him as he passes by. Worse— she does, cause of course she does she’s a shinobi, and is ignoring him? “Sure thing. Have a nice night.” TenTen shifts her attention to him.

As she rings him up his gaze wanders over to the display Sakura had been looking at. 

“Pretty cool, right? Quality, though I wouldn’t suggest them for you.” 

Shikamaru doesn’t respond. TenTen must think he’s interested in the same weapon as Sakura? 

“Not the right body type,” she explains, nodding towards the medieval looking weapons. He doesn’t argue, though he’s disappointed she doesn’t clarify which weapon. There’s a bludgeon, an axe, and a flail. Large ones. “Her’s is?”

”She’s working on it.”

Huh.

 

3.

He seconds away from making the decision for Ino, what’s it going to be?, when Sakura collapses, hair painfully twisted in an Oto kuniochi’s hand— kicks her feet from out under her. The girl hits the ground with a thud. The two scramble for dominance. He’s left breathless at the kuniochi who is put in a brutal chokehold.

Not to be subdued easily the kuniochi plunges her kunai in every available area, sinks it into Sakura’s forearm, sticking in, bone?

Her scream of pain is muffled by the mouthful of flesh she sinks her teeth into. The girl releases the kunai instinctually, hand clawing at Sakura’s face, seeking relief. Muscles of her forearm flex as she wrenches the kuniochi to her feet. “Don’t come any closer or I’ll do it!” 

The kunai is still in her arm. A sick sensation blooms in his chest. All of that blood— “What’s it going to be Ino? She’s your friend!”

Zazu, Zaku?, laughs. “Fine we’ll do this the hard way.” He pulls out his kunai, and charges.  He crosses the field in with a sadistic grin stretching across his face. Her eyes frantically bounce between the two Oto nin like a cornered animal. The kuniochi weakly struggles, face turning blue, and he’s there— the girl is flailing limbs as Sakura shoves her into her teammates path. Zaku lunges forwards at the same moment. Gores himself on her kunai, a blink and you’ll miss it substitution— the kuniochi where Sakura used to be, and Zaku doubles over and _vomits_ blood. 

Maybe vomit is too strong of a word. It’s more like a weak spray of spittle and red. The color dots across her cheeks and neck, a strange arrangement of freckles. 

Her left arm hangs uselessly at her side sans kunai. Oh. She fucking used the kunai in her arm to stab him, and it’s so. The idea is preposterous, she’ll bleed out quick, he might not be a medic but the Academy has taught them enough about basic first aid that he can recognize when an artery’s been hit. Never mind the fact the kunai hilt stuck out on one side of her arm and the tip out the other. 

Dosu, the leader tilts his bandaged head to the side, finally considering her. Unconcerned for the spluttering kuniochi or his skewered teammate.  

He pulls back a sleeve revealing a metal contraption.

Chōji, thank Kami for Chōji. He barrels out from the bush, body swelling into his jutsu. For a moment Shikamaru is frozen, unable to act, as his friend rams into the Oto nin. Ino is the one who forces him into action, sharply calling his name. He quickly spreads out his shadow and reaches for the kuniochi. Pins in her in place. It’s over quicker than all of this began. Dosu has no choice but to retreat, with Zaku’s fatal wound and his other teammate immobilized. 

“He’s dead. He’s dead anyway,” the man snarls. 

“I’ll kill you! You’re not getting anywhere near Sasuke,” Sakura grits out.

 

 

She’s coherent enough to bark orders at Ino, the boys balk at the gaping flesh, dark pooling around the wound. He watches from the corner of his eye from his lookout position as his teammate ties a makeshift torquet above her forearm. Chōji holds her down when the pain becomes too much. It’s why he’s the first to notice the wrongness, an overwhelming aura. (It’s Sasuke.) 

 

Sasuke gathers Sakura into his arms, black splotches receding, and he faces Naruto. “We have to go dobe.” Naruto clutches at his kunai, biting his lip in attempt to keep his tears at bay. He doesn’t even bristle at the order. “Formation: Man Down.”

The limp lull of Sakura’s neck is too much. “She’s not stable enough to move!”

The unnatural intensity balling around Sasuke amplifies as he turns his attention to Shikamaru. His face is blank, voice even, with the same condensending tone he always speaks with. “She isn’t going to die. Not if we leave, now,” he directs the last part to Naruto, voice forceful. 

“S’okay...” her voice is whispy, the whites of her eyes visible through the slit of her eyelids. “S’okay, Naruto... Sasuke...” 

and because they all fear her next breath will be her last, Team 8 let’s them go.  

 

4. 

Not putting her on the Sasuke Retrieval Squad is not what is on his mind. His head is between his knees (Chōji, Kiba, Naruto, Neji), a Sand kuniochi ridicules him for his behavior. He can hardly contain the tell tale hiccup of  approaching hyperventilation. Not putting her on the Squad is the farthest from his mind, when he passes her in the hall after his dad lectures him.

she hardly _looks_ at him. “Ino’s in the cafeteria.” and proceeds to enter the waiting room he practically fled.

Chōji’s in a coma. Kiba has a punctured kidney. Naruto is restricted to his bed. Neji was skewered. All Shikamaru has to show for it is a fractured forefinger. 

She begged to be on the squad— atrophied arm and all. “We’ll bring him back together. Naruto tell him!” And between the pressure and time sensitive mission, Shikamaru didn’t hesitate to say no. The look on her face, from the moment of his refusal and Naruto’s “promise of a lifetime” was far more surreal than the expression she bore when she reported Sasuke’s defection. She didn’t follow them. Liability. He tells himself that, she’s a liability. That’s why he said no. And sure. No one will fault him for his decision. 

The Godaime told Lee he’ll never be a ninja again. She told Sakura it’ll be years before she can use her arm to full capacity.

 

(He hyperventilates at the edge of the Nara forest. The damp of the grass wettens his knees. He’s supposed to be a genuis. His plan. His plan. Almost killed everyone, all _his_ fault.)

Because Sakura is the only one Sasuke says goodbye too. It’s a fact that she doesn’t share with Naruto, a confession Ino whittles out of her, and his teammate shares this with him and Chōji over subpar hospital food. It’s an upsetting sentiment. Sasuke wouldn’t, he killed the nin guarding the gate, he beat Naruto into a pulp and left for Orochimaru, he’s never liked Sakura. This boy is the reason Chōji only just woke from his coma. Before the mission Shikamaru would say he’s incapable of defection. He’s loyal to a fault, if only because he wants to be the best. Now Shikamaru wonders why he’s never saw treason in Sasuke’s lining. That... chakra fluctuation, didn’t go away. Not before, during, or after Preliminaries. The boy gathering Sakura in his arms, for medical attention, it can’t be the same one who knocked her unconscious in her hospital room after saying “goodbye.”

Even Ino isn’t disillusioned. What she once might have called romantic or star crossed, she mutters, blue eyes narrowed with concern for her friend. 

 

His father’s words never really leave him.

 

”Please train me Lady Tsunade.”

The Fifth arches a thinly plucked brow, leans forward with distinct interest that wasn’t present a moment before. “And why would I do that?” 

“It’s simple really. I won’t see another teammate of mine injured.”

Her eyes narrow, condescending. “Oh?”

“My chakra control is in the 60th percentile. I have knowledge in remedies and basic First Aid.” 

“Is that supposed to impress me?” 

There’s a lengthy pause. “If I can’t be a Med nin I request a honorable discharge from my station.”

“You think you can jerk me around with ultimatums? You have some nerve—” 

“Dishonorable, then.”

— There’s a mighty clap of body through wall, a sixty foot drop and— “I’ll consider it, brat, if you can survive a spar against me!” 

The Hokage lands, cement turning into rubble beneath her feet as she hops from the tower, crouches before Shikamaru’s twitching body. It takes all of his will power to bring his hands together for: Shadow Binding Technique. His only chance at winning is thwarted, “Binding!” His hands freeze mere centimeters apart. He can hardly breathe.

She picks him up from the scruff of his collar, raises his still body eye level. “You lose. Besides, I already have an apprentice.”

This hurts far worst than the blunt impact of the ground. Movement returns to him— how did she do that? It wasn’t his clan’s technique but— no, who’s her apprentice? He won’t give up! “Shizune? She—“

”No, boy. Another.”

 

His father is furious. “What were you thinking? A medic?” His scarred skin pulls tight as his eyebrows furrow in barely contained anger. “Does Ino-Shika-Cho mean so little to you?”

Shikamaru clenches his fist, biding his father’s wrath. It’s unorthodox but it isn’t illogical. 

“Nara are not inherently offensive. Medic nin are the last resort. With our clan’s jutsu I can help a fight without laying a hand on the enemy— without being incapacitated.”

”I was wrong about you Shikamaru,” his dad says. “You’re not just a coward but a fool too.” His dad stands to his full height. “Do you realize that every ounce of a medics chakra is dedicated to healing? Your ‘plan’ won’t work. I tell you to better yourself for your friends sake and you try to cop out?”

”I can lead and heal at the same time. It’s not mutually exclusive!”

”You’re wrong. Becoming a medic takes years. Dedication. Chakra control you don’t have.” 

There. Bare boned, laid out before him like a picnic. He refuses to accept this. “My plan will work and my teammates— Chōji and Ino— anyone else who comes along, won’t ever suffer for my decisions.” 

His teammates support his decision, even if they are perplexed. Ultimately it comes down to this: Chōji and Ino are his best friends. They sandwich him between them, ambushing him in the Nara Forest after his talk with his father. Chōji speaks first. “No one blames you. We all underestimated the mission stakes. I’m fine— we all are. You’re smart and quick on your feet, that’s good in a medic, eh?” He passes his chips to Shikamaru. 

On the opposite side of him, Ino speaks. “Besides. Who says we have to be carbon copies of our fathers’? We’re all smart, any of us could be Team Leader.”

”I’m clearly the muscle,” Chōji interjects, flexing. 

“So who cares which one of us is the ‘tactician’? Go ahead and be a medic,” she snakes a chip from the bag after saying her piece. Shikamaru laughs. If it’s a little more wet than usual neither call him on it. Mostly he’s happy they understand. That they’re not angry he didn’t consult them before making this decision. He knew they wouldn’t be mad but it still felt good to _know_. Together, it felt a lot like courage.

 

5.

His apology is all but forgotten, dredged up by the sight of Sakura and Lee doing synchronized push ups at an alarming pace.

He has to track her down the hard way because Ino isn’t talking to him about her and Chōji isn’t incredibly close to Sakura to begin with. Naruto is long gone, off on some foreign mission. He sat on the knowledge of “another” for a week. It took another three to narrow down the candidates. All signs point to her. 

“What do you want Shikamaru?” Neji’s pale eyes give him a once over. He tries not to take his cool behavior personally. Neji doesn’t blame him, this is how he is. “I’m here to talk to Sakura.” 

“You’ll be here for awhile,” TenTen joins them, a towel draped over her neck. She hands Neji one though he stares at it, as if offended she thought he’d even break a sweat. “They’re doing PT.” 

The two are equally struggling at push ups, each arm disfigured in its own way. Oto and Suna teaming up had detrimental results, on the village and their physical well being. Despite being a girl, she’s nearly having an easier time than Lee, who’s injury is worse. (He should know. He should know the diagnosis and he doesn’t because even though he has to make this work, what if it doesn’t? What if?) She isn’t outstripping him by much. Gai is transformered. Far harder than his usual cheer he orders them to push. Harder. It’s not abuse or anything serious but it’s more of egging than his usual fluff and grandeur.

Ever so often Sakura or Lee would begin to rely on their uninjured arm— Shikamaru marveled at her when it occured, a one armed push up? effortlessly— Gai would swiftly clap her back, “Two hands!” Causing her and Lee to return to steady struggle of working out the damaged arm. 

 

Sakura and Lee join the three as their session ends. No, just TenTen and Neji. Not him. 

“Weapon Shop? Oh, hey Shikamaru.” Lee waves at him, before returning his attention to his teammates. “Yeah,” TenTen agrees. Offering them towels. Neji cooly avoids Lee’s arm as he tries to sling it over their shoulders. “Tch.” He titls his head at Sakura who shakes her head. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

He waits until the three leave before speaking. “I’m sorry.”

For a moment he thinks she remembers too, of an awaited apology from long ago. 

“For trying to poach my apprenticeship?” She hooks a finger through her belt loop, swiping at her sweaty forehead with the other. “Look Nara,” it has all the bite ‘Clan Boy’ had. “I asked first.” She stalks away with finality. He can’t afford to be dismissed not when there are lives on the line.

”So that’s it? End of story? I want to be a medic.”

”And your entitled to my sensei? Only the best right? Any medic nin isn’t enough?”

Her amonisty catches him off gaurd. Before he can shift through all the insuinations, of why she’s so angry at him, Sakura invades his space in a single step. Shikamaru gathers as much steel as he can muster to manage her scrutiny. It has to be Tsunade.

”She—“ No, he needs to explain, make her see reason. He tries again. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry for not bringing you on the mission—“

”I don’t care. I don’t care what you do, or what you didn’t do Shikamaru.” She stands tall, fists clenching and unclenching minutely. “Become a medic? You fell apart from one mission. You think you’re ready to pick up the pieces? You weren’t even in the room and you couldn’t handle their injuries!”

”All of it’s my fault. Do you know how that feels? Calling the shots? You weren’t there.”

”And who’s fault is that? I could have done something!” 

“Naruto couldn’t bring him back—“

”And I couldn’t have? Sasuke came to me!” She snarls.

“No.”

 

The atmosphere nearly crackles around them, his heart squeezes, and she leans in close words dripping in poison. “Yeah.” it’s soft, acquiescing. “If I was the squad Commander I wouldn’t have racked up so many casualties.” 

He breaks her nose. His fist connects soundly, and she takes a step back, groaning, but doesn’t flee or retaliate. No. She sneers, teeth shining with blood as she resets the break, and he’s seeing red. 

“Fuck you.”

“Good luck becoming a medic,” Sakura sneers. “Without my recommendation. She asked me if I was okay with her taking you on.”

The fury he feels pales, as his actions stretch starkly against his favor. Curls around his throat at her words replay in his head. Shikamaru nearly throws another punch when she wipes her bloodied nose with the back of her injured forearm. 

“But it’s like I said. I don’t care what you do.” Sakura eruptly begins walking away. “But do that shit again Nara and you’ll find out why I’m Tsunade’s first choice.”

 

(She recommends him. And he begins his training under The Fifth.)

 

6.

She’s not bluffing about being Tsunade-shishou’s first choice. She has immaculate chakra control that puts his meager 60 percentile to shame. Technically, she’s a month or so ahead of him, but Shikamaru has this odd desire that is based in an unreasonable need to be better. For once an abstract work ethic propels him to try harder. It’s not always enough.

Which makes him feel off.

He didn’t try in the Academy because it was too much work but he always knew if he did do the work— or put in some effort (not all), that he would succeed. And... that’s just not the case. It took him almost a year to perfect Mystical Palm Technique. It takes Sakura three. Three _months_.

the injustice of it all, is the fact she doesn’t even want to be a medic.

Shikamaru doesn’t know how Sakura survived the encounter, telling Tsunade-shishou she wanted to exclusively learn chakra refining techniques— not the Legendary Saanin’s renowned healing capabilities. Tsunade-shishou is an all or nothing person, she doesn’t like shortcuts and yet. 

She’s briefly, only in name, Tsunade-sensei’s apprentice. Long enough to learn the Mystical Palm Technique and torment him with her success, long enough for shishou to develope a fondness for a pupil who respectfully asks to retract her apprenticeship when she so clearly belongs in the field where she’s a prodigy— and Tsunade-shishou is furious but not disappointed as he, Shizune and she watch her leave.

Tsunade doesn’t favor her. She heckles and rides them equally. And because she’s so clearly a medical prodigy maybe he’s projecting, but still. 

 

“I was never really her apprentice,” she explained once. “Shishou wanted to test your commitment. You are a clan child after all.” Her comment is genuine, divorced from their bitterest encounter. Under Tsunade-shishou’s tutelage a terse civilty formed. Through the approximation it grew, at least for him, into a begrudged respect for her abilities.

”You’re her student,” he pauses, and really thinks about it. “Oh.”

Oh, as in she’s planning to leave. And oh, clan members have other duties and loyalties that factor in on their roles as ninja. His father detests his decision, considers it a shirking of duty and tradition. However he had his back when it counted— when the clan elders voted on whether or not to order him to discontinue his training. Tsunade-shishou used Sakura as a way to test his will. 

And Sakura is so close to mastering the Mystical Palm. At first he didn’t realize Tsunade-shishou giving them different work loads and exercises, but he caught on quickly. He wonders why it took so long for him to really put everything together. One of these days, it might be the last time she ties her hair up or wear scrubs or be better than him at medical ninjutsu. Or or or. “You’re a genuis. You should stay, you’re practically made for this.” It’s— it’s true, but it tastes of dust admitting it, no matter how sincere.

Sakura smiles, and it’s not sad, but a harsh determination that makes his chest ache. “This isn’t for me Shikamaru. I have other priorities. Dreams.” The way she says ‘dreams’  is eerily reminiscent of a promise. He thinks, maybe in another life. “Don’t look that way. You aren’t second choice. You’ll be better at this than any of us pretty soon. Saving lives.” She stands. “My favorite dream is about to come true.” She waves goodbye before heading out. 

 

7.

Her muscles ripple like silk in the wind. The ground groans, fracturing into fissures of loose soil, and the bulge of muscle and dirt muddying her sweaty biceps make his mouth incredibly dry. 

Tsunade-shishou retaliates, heel arching high, comes down with a breathtaking speed. Sakura merely angles her battle axe so the flat end deflects the attack. The two forces collide with a thunderous clap. He’s jealous and impressed and, not surprised. Of course:

Her dream happens to be two battle axes and a haircut. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been sitting on this fic for awhile. It’s far from perfect but I think it’s decent enough lmao. 
> 
> Lemme clarify some shit: Team 7 ends up running into Kabuto who heals Sakura’s arm enough so she doesn’t ya’know, die. Idk what’s up with me and Sakura injuring her arms but YEAH. Anyway, her fight with the Oto nin is more violent because she kicks her training into gear bcuz of her ‘wake up call’ in the Academy. 
> 
> It’s sort of the reason why she isn’t included on the Sasuke retrieval squad, but it’s also because Shikamaru feels a certain way for her (though not full blown crush or realization...) and like in canon, he doesn’t really think she’d help to much. Shikamaru was definitely affected by the failure of his mission and that is why he decided to become a medic— no one will be hurt under his watch. Though Sakura and others kinda point out the counterproductive part of him becoming one... but he’s set on it. 
> 
> I intend for him to be bad ass. Yes, his chakra control is not as refined as Sakura’s but he’ll work for it and YOULL SEE, mwhaha. Also in the next chapter you’ll see what’ve sakura does with her abilities. 
> 
> Comment, critique, and kudos! Thanks for reading.


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